Whats Happening on the Big Island
February 15th - March 15th

This is our seventh e-zine to date. This issue is full of information, first is our lead article on the upcoming US Supreme Court Case that will have a huge impact on Hawaii.

We do our best to provide the most up to date info for tourists and residents alike, so visitors can learn about the real Hawaii, not just the candy coated version that most see.

Following our lead article an article about Kanaka Kava, a great establishment in the heart of Kona.

Next we have our recommendations for upcoming concerts this month.

Then we have an article about Depleted Uranium in Hawaii, something residents have been very concerned about since independent readings showed high levels of radiation a few years back. Finally we have the two events that stand out to us the most in the upcoming month.

As always, we have some amazing pictures, we threw in randomly.

Enjoy

The United States Supreme Court will hear the appeal of Oha V The State of Hawaii on Feb. 25th

Bigisland-Bigisland.com has been covering this case extensively, from pages on the Governors position on the case, to editorials, and other press surrounding the case.

For those of you that are not familiar with the case, Last year the Hawaii Supreme Court rendered a landmark decision, stating that the state of Hawaii can not sell any of the 1.8 acres of ceded lands that they hold in a trust set up back when Hawaii became a State 50 years ago.

In the 2008 ruling rendered by the Hawaii Supreme Court, a lot of weight was given to the 1993 apology bill.

This Bill (Public Law 103-150) details the events that took place from the time of the unprovoked overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, to the adoption of Hawaii as a state.

It goes on to acknowledge the illegality of the whole process, and apologizes for the United States participation in the events.

It also makes the statement that there has never been a settlement of any claims against the United States, for the continuing occupation of the Hawaiian Islands, in violation of treaties held with the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Hawaii States Attorney General Mark Bennet filed a appeal after the 2008 decision, and believes that the nature of the trust governing the former Hawaiian Kingdom lands should allow for the State to sell these lands, and use the proceeds to fund the governments operations.

OHA and the Hawaii State Supreme Court have taken a different stance.

They believe that since the apology bills inception in 1993, there should be a moratorium on all sales of former Hawaiian Kingdom lands, because there has never been a accounting for the actions taken against the Hawaiian Kingdom, a Sovereign Nation.

In the last few years a Bill known as the Akaka Bill has been in the works, and this bill intends to do just what the Apology Bill states, settle the claims against the US, by giving Native Hawaiians, as individuals, a monetary settlement.

Something along the lines of what has been enacted for the Native Americans across the continental US.

This case has the potential to have a huge impact on the very fabric of the government in Hawaii.

Hawaiian Sovereignty activists have been attempting to use this bill since its inception in all kinds of legal arguments, but until the OHA case the courts never gave it much weight.

If the Supreme Court upholds the decision, all kinds of land cases will get re-hashed, because the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom triggered a chain of events that lead to the loss of countless acres of land, especially when the state started charging taxes, and acquiring land through quiet title.

Below is some statistics, broken down by district, about how much land the State is holding in trust, from the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

To see some of the pages that we have published on this issue, follow this link, to a list of our pages on ceded lands.

Kanaka Kava: More than just Kava
Food with true Aloha Mana

Almost always you will see Sage working hard behind the bar, or his sister Jenna.

Th Kanaka Kava Bar is located next to/behind Wasabi's Japanese restaurant at the Coconut Grove Marketplace off Ali'i drive in Kailua-Kona. This place is a must-see, must-drink, must-eat for anyone, tourist and local desiring true Aloha HAwaiian food, drink, and spirit.

Kanaka Kava serves up true-to-form Hawaiian food, at *ONLY* $5 a side. Several examples include: Purple Sweet potato, (u'ala) Squid with Luau greens, poke, plenty poi, opihi, boiled taro (kalo) boiled in coconut milk, sweet-potato haupia pie, and of course Kava with many more Hawaiian delicacies unmentioned.

Kava has mild psychoactive and anti anxiety properties . The drink, which is a mild & relaxing, is from a pepper plant. The roots are smashed, then placed in a cheesecloth. The cheesecloth is then placed in a deep bowl, where one "milks" the kava oil full of "kavalactones" from the bag within the water.

Kava is perhaps best known for its relaxing qualities. Kava is said to elevate mood, well-being, and contentment, and produce a feeling of relaxation.

Several studies have found that kava may be useful in the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, and related nervous disorders. As for medicinal purposes, Kava has been documented by naturopaths as a potent anti-cancer. Kava is also great for PMS, or PMDD, and injuries that cause severe or chronic pain.

For anyone looking for a restaurant with true Hawaiian food, where the true mystic essence of Aloha Mana can be felt reverberating through the atmosphere, Kanaka Kava is the place to be!

Kanaka Kava is located next to Wasabi's. 75-5803 Space B6 at the Coconut Grove Marketplace off Ali'i Drive, in the heart of Kailua-Kona. Phone: 808-883-6260

Every once in a while they have live music, like when Sashamon came and graced the Coconut Grove with his music.

The Island Music Scene

On February 21st, the King Kamehameha Hotel will be the place to be.

The line up for the Baby Bash concert combined with outdoor venue at the hotels luau grounds will make this concert one of the best of the year.

Baby Bash has a lot of hit songs that he will be performing, but the real draw, will be Fiji and J Boog.

Fiji is perhaps the most popular artist in the islands at this time, he has a unique sound and a voice that is golden.

He also is quite the entertainer, always delivering a great show to his audiences.

J Boog is relatively new to the music scene, but he has a great sound, fusing his Samoan heritage with his Compton upbringing.

He is getting as much play on the big island radio stations as any other musicians.

The two these superstars in concert together is something that you don't want to miss!
For more info on the concert, go to our page on Bash at the Beach, with J Boog and Fiji

The next event was hard to choose, there weren't many concerts in the beginning of March that have been advertised, so the winner had to be 2008 grammy award winner Angelique Kidjo on Feb 19th in Hilo, and Feb 20th in Waimea.

Depleted Uranium at Pohakaloa Training Center

Depleted Uranium has been a serious issue on the Big Island since 2006, when reports started confirming that there were indeed depleted uranium rounds used at Pohakuloa Training Area.

Over the years since these reports came out, Army and State officials have tried to ease the worries of residents, with out giving any real data. Locals have been pushing for serious testing to be done, and for all army records related to depleted uranium rounds be released to the public.

Russell Takata who works for the State Department of Health, was quoted in 2007 as saying that "There is no immediate hazard to the public, as far as we're concerned, the background levels are within the normal limits."

Stefanie Gardin, spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Garrison in Hawaii, was also quoted in 2007 "The impact area where the depleted uranium was found is a remote area that is not open to public access, it is highly unlikely that any members of the general population would come into contact with depleted uranium there."

2009 is upon us and still the Army has not released complete copies of the records for Pohakuloa. The State Department of Health began doing tests in March of 2008, but their operations did not even last a month.

Again the issue was in the newspapers, last month and lengthy meetings were held, with no real outcome.

Those of us that have been watching this wonder, what are they hiding?

We will be following this up with a full page article in our Big Island News section in the next month, so look for that.

Aloha and Thank you for reading, education is the weapon of choice for some.

Upcoming Events February 15th 2008 to March 15th 2009

This months events are both in Kona, and are back to back. They are the Outdoor Circle'sPua Plantasia and Brews on the Big Rock Festival at the King Kam Hotel.

The Kona Brewers Festival is one of the best events of the year, and if you like beer, it is your dream come true. It takes place on Saturday March 14th, and for more info follow the link above.

Next up is the Kona Outdoor Circles Pua Plantasia. This annual event is more then a plant sale, there are workshops, demonstrations, and experts on hand to help you make your next year of gardening a great experience. This takes place on Sunday the 15th, and for more info follow that link.

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